"Be the best you can. Always. Never give it less than your best effort."

These words marked me. My dad spoke them when he saw my mediocrity in high school. The advice took time to bloom. He meant at life, even if I thought only at school and then work.

"Let’s go help. We’ll find a way, no matter what."

A massive earthquake hit Mexico City in 1985. Walls cracking, and the knowledge that somewhere downtown people were trapped under the rubble shook me to my core. I organized student teams to help rescue them.

All we knew was we needed to go help, even if we didn't know how. A couple of times we could not get to the victims.

I remember the crippling powerlessness, but mostly the amazing teamwork, the strength of serving others and working for a common purpose bigger than us.

That marked me too.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

This Winston Churchill quote neatly captures what I have come to fervently believe.

I kept learning, working hard, underestimating what I could do, screwing up in what I thought were fatal ways... but learning from my mistakes. I ran Finance for Europe and eventually got a massive promotion to corporate HQ for my first global CFO role. Different culture, priorities, ways of playing the game… but I made it!

I helped lead the biggest business in the company and doing things I only read about when I started out. I moved as CFO to other firms and industries.

My career was flying.

"You can do this!"

I finally heeded my dad’s advice. I worked hard, failed often, got up, and tried again. I kept at it and learned.

I was neck-deep in debt. The economy was crumbling. I felt trapped. I remembered my mom, with her unwavering faith in me. My wife looked into my eyes and said, “You got this. You can do this.”

I got up, dusted off, and kept going. Doors opened inside my head. My career took off... but after some time, it started to feel a little hollow.

"Do what really makes you happy and enriches your life!"

This is what my dad told me the last time we were together. These words have always been a beacon for me. They have kept echoing in my mind and never left me.

So I finally shifted focus to a new dream.

I feel blessed with the career I built. I am very grateful that now, thanks to it, I can move to the next phase and focus on what really fills my soul. I had the need to create something to do just that.

And I am here now, with you.

This is my “why”. I'm convinced you can become what you’re meant to be. I'd be happy to help.